BEACONS OF LIGHT LETTER

A Letter from Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The mission of the Catholic Church, our mission, entrusted to the apostles by Jesus, is to proclaim the Good News of salvation and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). In short, to radiate Christ.

We have a responsibility to make the best use of all the means which God has provided us to pursue this sacred mission. It is therefore appropriate to ask, are all our resources – human, physical and financial – properly ordered to missionary discipleship? Are they working in concert to continuously draw parishioners and attract new members into a more intimate relationship with Jesus? Or are they consumed by efforts to maintain the status quo and spread too thin to be truly effective?

These are the concerns that Beacons of Light, the multiyear process of comprehensive pastoral planning for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, has been addressing. After months of study and analysis, we cannot escape the conclusion that in many cases our church buildings are grossly underutilized, our priests and parish staff members are stretched to the limit, and our parishes are simply not the vibrant, evangelizing communities Catholics want and need them to be.

To help remedy this situation and be better stewards of the resources God has made available to us, parishes in the archdiocese will be grouped into “Families of Parishes” under the leadership of one pastor. After that, each Family will collaborate internally to determine the best and highest use of their shared resources to radiate the love of Christ and form a strong, vital community of evangelization and service centered on the Eucharist. Your thoughtful feedback at this stage of the planning process would be most valuable. A draft of the Families of

Parishes will be shared for public comment Oct. 1-20 at

www.BeaconsAOC.org, the website of the Beacons of Light initiative. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the information on the website, then prayerfully provide your input on this important step which will shape the future of our archdiocese.

As we continue this challenging but necessary endeavor, it is critically important that we earnestly seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we might together discern the best path forward with humility and courage. Please join me in asking for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, to whose care we have entrusted our archdiocese, that God continue to bless us with His presence and His love, as we pray:

Mary, Mother of the Church and our Mother, present our prayer of thanksgiving to your Son. Beg from Him the graces we need to be faithful disciples who follow Him with enthusiasm and joy. May our witness to the love of God bear fruit in our archdiocese, parishes, homes and hearts. Teach us to be God’s joyful witnesses, to radiate Christ in all we do, so that all people might know, love and follow your Son through this life and into the next. Amen.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr Archbishop of Cincinnati

BEACONS OF LIGHT

Glossary

Infrastructure: The collective physical structures and property in our archdiocese – church buildings, school buildings, office buildings, rectories and real estate, including parking lots, grounds, etc.

Bishop / Archbishop: A successor of the Apostles who has received the fullness of Christ’s priesthood. The bishop is the proper shepherd of the diocese entrusted to him under the authority of the Holy Father. An archbishop is the bishop of an archdiocese. “The diocesan bishop governs the particular Church entrusted to him with legislative, executive and judicial power, in accordance with the law.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 391)

Pastor: The pastor is the proper shepherd of the parish or parishes entrusted to him under the authority of his (arch)bishop. He is an ordained priest responsible for the ministry of teaching, sanctifying and governing, with the cooperation of other priests or deacons in the parish and the assistance of lay members of the faithful. Parochial Vicar: A parochial vicar is a priest assigned by his (arch)bishop to a parish or Family of Parishes to assist a pastor in the care of the faithful. The Code of Canon Law defines the office as follows: “Parochial vicars are priests who render their services in pastoral ministry as co-workers with the pastor in common counsel and endeavor with him and also under his authority.” (Code of Canon Law, c. 545 §1)

Deacon: A deacon is a man ordained for service in the Church’s ministry of charity. Deacons receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, as do priests and bishops. Deacons assist priests with various parish ministries. They are able to administer the sacrament of baptism, witness marriages and assist with both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Deacons also often assist with parish administration, catechesis and other duties. A permanent deacon may be married or single and is not a candidate for the priesthood. A transitional deacon is a man in formation for the priesthood, for whom the diaconate is a final stage before priestly ordination. Triune God: A central doctrine of the Church, stating that there are three Persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – in one God. Sharing the same divine substance, the three divine Persons are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstanstial. They are due co-equal glory and adoration. This doctrine is commonly expressed as that of the Most Holy Trinity.

Synodality: A way of living the faith in a permanent manner at every level – in the parish, in the family and at the peripheries. All members of the Church, laity in addition to clergy, are to be engaged in this way of living. Synodality describes the journeying together of the People of God toward the New and Eternal Jerusalem.

Lumen Gentium (“The Light of the

Nations”): One of the principle documents of the Second Vatican Council, known as the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. Lumen Gentium has two purposes: to explain the Church’s nature as “a sign and instrument of communion with God and of unity among all men” and to clarify the Church’s universal mission as the sacramental means of human salvation.

WHAT GROUP WILL YOUR PARISH JOIN?

Be Heard. Stay Informed. Sign Up.Visit BeaconsAOC.org to view the draft

Subscribe to the free monthly Families of Parishes map and give your feedback. Beacons Update

From October 1-20, learn how the Families of Parishes are coming together for the future of the Archdiocese of

Cincinnati on the Beacons of Light website. This is your chance to give feedback and make sure your voice is heard.

CatholicAOC.org/Beacons